The Ties that Bind
by InzanityFirez
Summary: A misunderstanding on Shinichi's birthday leads to a rift between Conan and Heiji. When the latter goes off on his own on Shinichi's behalf, he finds himself the victim of an updated and highly unstable APTX pill just as Conan gets his hands on a temporary cure. With Heiji's life on the line, time is of the essence. But when Ran is kidnapped, Shinichi is left with a hard choice.
1. The Ties Unwind

**My first Case Closed/Detective Conan fic. I'll be frank, other than having seen like twenty episodes of Case Closed back in the day, most of my knowledge is now from hunting down scenes in the anime and manga with Heiji/Conan/Shinichi. That being said, I've paid attention to other details and feel I can reasonably represent this story. If I get something wrong...just roll with it. And by the by, you might find the scenarios I'm about to lay out a bit strange, but it's not what you think. I have a devious plan. Mostly. XD Enjoy!~**

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_"Close your eyes!" _

_"Why should I?" _

_"Just do it, Shinichi!" _

_A heavy sigh, and then Shinichi closed his eyes. "Happy, Ran?" _

_There was a silence and then..."Okay, open them!" _

_Shinichi Kudo was greeted by a roomful of people, most of whom he recognized and few of whom he cared for who had gathered for his fourteenth birthday. He was tempted to be annoyed rather than pleased, but the sight of Ran's smiling, beaming face was too much and he relented as he smiled for her. "A surprise party?" _

_"Yup! We did good this time, right? You didn't guess, did you?" _

_Of course he had. The hushed whispers, Ran's poorly hidden excitement, the fact that it was in fact his birthday, and the business card from a nearby bakery he rather favored had made it rather obvious. But in the end, he scrunched his nose and said. "Well, I thought you might...but you got me in the end. When you said we were only going to the park, I thought maybe you'd given up this year..." he said with a slight frown, to make it more convincing. _

_Ran eyed him carefully, but apparently decided that he was telling the truth because she beamed again. "I knew it!" she suddenly produced a small envelope and passed it to him with a faint blush. _

_Shinichi blinked as he quickly determined that it could only be a letter of some kind, which he doubted, or some sort of tickets. Sure enough, he opened it to find two tickets to...a murder mystery workshop at a nearby science museum. Such a thing would be child's play, but Ran, who cared little for such things, had chosen it for him. He noticed something then, and tilted the envelope to find a small cord bracelet with a little question mark engraved on a bead. _

_Ran looked at him anxiously. "Do you like it? I had them put the question mark because...well, you know..." _

_Shinichi didn't need an explanation. She had drawn a comparison between a question mark and his love of mysteries and given him the little bracelet to represent that. The tickets had been thoughtful, so was this, both were silly but even so...Shinichi smiled to himself before he held out a hand a bit arrogantly. "Of course I like it, who else could pull off wearing something like that anyway?" More softly, he added. "Will you put it on for me, Ran?" _

_Ran's beam returned full force, not put off at all by his lofty front as she clasped it on his wrist. They admired it for a moment before Shinichi added. "Thanks, Ran...this is...really great, actually." He couldn't stop the warm feeling brimming in his chest, and he willed his cheeks not to warm. But then Ran suddenly darted forward and hugged him tightly, her lately blooming form pressed up against his, and he bit his lip and hugged her back tightly. Both to reciprocate, and hide the blush he could feel was on his cheeks. _

_"Happy birthday, Shinichi." Ran whispered warmly. _

_Shinichi bit his tongue and despite himself, smiled into her shoulder. __**Happy birthday indeed. **_

Shinichi, or rather, Conan woke up with a bittersweet expression that morning and he cursed whatever mental associations had brought up _that_ particular memory. Today was Shinichi's birthday, but there would be no celebration because 'Shinichi' was 'away on a case' and Conan didn't share a birthday with him. No, the day would be lackluster, and just a sad reminder of the turn his life had taken. Even so, he could at least try to spend the day with Ran...that would be some consolation, even if he wouldn't be getting any birthday affections this year. Conan rubbed his wrist thoughtfully, the bracelet had been rather cheap [though no less highly held in his esteem] and had broken within a year. The bracelet was now kept tucked away in his dresser. "Happy birthday to me." he muttered with a sigh, before he got up to start his day. He'd stayed over at Ran's home, in part to spend more time with her, and in part to avoid Haibara's teasing about 'little Conan's birthday'.

He headed down the hall and steeled himself for what he was sure would prove to be a less than wonderful birthday, [particularly compared to his previous ones], but he stopped short as he approached Ran's room and heard a male voice through the slightly cracked door.

"Tonight is the night!"

_Hattori?_ Conan's brow furrowed. What was Hattori doing here? And in Ran's room? This couldn't have anything to do with his birthday, it had to be a coincidence, since Hattori wouldn't spill the beans on his identity over a birthday.

"That's...I don't think..." Ran's voice replied back hesitantly.

"That's it, don't think! Just go with it! Feelings like these...ya can't dwell on them too much. Just gotta let 'em be."

"Heiji, that's..."

_Feelings? What are they talking about? _ Conan honestly couldn't come up with a single reason for the snippet of conversation he was hearing and he leaned closer with a frown, but the floor started to creak a little and he froze, and missed Hattori's reply.

"I-I can't just say it!"

"Sure ya can, just say 'I like ya'..or be honest...'I'm madly in love with ya!'"

"Heiji!" Ran chided, and she sounded embarassed.

Conan's eyes widened and he nearly choked. _What_ had Hattori just said?

"Well, it's true, isn't it? I already know how ya feel. There's no point in denying it." There wasn't a reply and Hattori's voice softened. "I'm not trying to force ya, I'm just saying...how long do ya wanna wait?"

There was another bit of silence before Ran replied. "I'd wait forever if I had to...but..."

"But the truth is...you just wanna say it, don'tcha?"

"But...where do I even start? I can't just come out and say...say..."

"I love ya?" There was a grin in Hattori's voice, and it made Conan bristle. He'd tried to make sense of this conversation in any other possible light, but there was no way. If, by some remote possibility, he was talking about Ran confessing her feelings to...Shinichi...that just wouldn't be possible. Because Shinichi was Conan, and she wasn't going to just call up 'Shinichi' who wasn't even there...and why was Hattori here of all times, what did he care? Hattori was about as dim-witted about romance as a guy could be, look at him and Kazuha...but maybe that was it, somehow...could Shinichi have been wrong? Was Kazuha's love really one-sided...were Heiji and Ran talking about...a love between them?

The thought made him sick and felt a little dizzy as his mind reeled. Where had that thought come from? It surely wasn't possible. Hattori wouldn't do that to him, and he loved Kazuha, what was Shinichi thinking? How ridiculou-

"I love ya, Ran..." Hattori's voice came earnestly from the room, and Conan realized he'd missed some part of the conversation but what did it matter? He could hear _that_ loud and clear.

"I-I..love...you too..." Ran's voice was almost a whisper, meek and embarrassed, but there was no doubting the words, Conan had been listening too carefully. He had even taken a peek inside the room, and he saw Hattori with his hands on Ran's arms as she gazed up at him with a blush.

Conan felt the air rush out of him, and he had a strange sense of disorientation a moment as if felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach. He stumbled back, wide-eyed and blinking slowly, and nearly in a trance he made his way into the living room. Conan stood stock-still as he stared at a wall blankly. That conversation...he had been analyzing it carefully, weighing all possibilities and although it seemed impossible...although the evidence didn't seem to match...what other explanation could there be for what he'd heard? Some part of him knew that he was too close to this, that his feelings for Ran were affecting his judgment, but he couldn't accept that consciously. Hattori, knowing about Shinichi's situation, about his feelings for Ran, even though he had Kazuha, even though he claimed that they were best friends and brothers...even though he was the best friend and closest thing to a brother Shinichi had ever had...he had _betrayed _him. On his _birthday_ no less.

"Ah, Ku-er..Conan! Hey!" A grinning Hattori came over and ruffled his hair, and Conan slowly gazed up at him. "What'cha thinking about so hard, kiddo?" he teased. Ran hadn't followed him out, it was only Hattori and Conan in the living room that suddenly seemed deafeningly silent to Shinichi. When Conan didn't reply, Hattori frowned slightly and crouched down to be eye level with him. "Hey...Kudo...?" Hattori's voice had gone quiet, almost a whisper. "You alright?"

"Yeah...just fine." Conan said lowly, through gritted teeth.

Hattori didn't miss that at all and concern registered in his expression as he put a hand to Conan's forehead to feel for a fever. "You-" Hattori's hand was suddenly smacked away, none too gently, by Conan who took a step back and stared at Hattori with a cold expression. "Oi! ...Kudo?"

"You said we were like brothers." Conan muttered distractedly, although he met Hattori's gaze evenly.

Hattori's expression registered confusion then. "Well...yeah...we are brothers. Where it counts."

Conan gave a cold chuckle as he looked away a moment to run a hand through his hair. "'Where it counts', huh?"

"...Kudo...what's wrong? Why are you being like this?"

And suddenly, Conan was angry, viciously angry and he could hardly understand the sudden well of emotion himself but there it was. Before he knew it, he'd flung himself at Hattori and gotten in a child's punch to his cheek, before Hattori grabbed his small wrists.

"The Hell?" Hattori shouted in surprise, and he kept a squirming Conan in his grip. "What the Hell's wrong with ya?"

"You! You're wrong with me!" Conan shouted back.

Hattori's expression flashed confusion and then a bit of anger, even for Shinichi, his patience had it's limit. "Listen, I don't know what this is about, but you need to calm down, _kid_. Before ya get hurt."

"Oh, it wasn't enough to stab me in the back? You'll beat me up as well? What a hero you make, Hattori." Conan replied sardonically.

"S...Stab you in the back? What are you talking about?"

Conan suddenly began to struggle against Hattori's grip anew, Hattori's feigned innocence inflamed him even more. He didn't understand his rage, it was different than when he was angry over an innocent being hurt, or a miscarriage of justice or some such...no one he loved was in danger, this was...something else. A rage that he was unfamiliar with. A sense of betrayal. Shinichi didn't bother to care about people enough for such a thing, he didn't need relationships and friends and _trust_. He had a few people in his circle, whether by his choice or not...but...other than Ran, who had ever...who had ever really _wanted_ to be his friend? Let alone his brother? Shinichi had been a loner, and while Conan was a bit more popular, still...Hattori was...irregular. He had obnoxiously forced his 'friendship' and 'brotherhood' on Shinichi slash Conan alongisde their rivalry. Hattori had made himself...important. To Shinichi. To Conan. In general. It didn't really make a difference. The point was...it hurt. This was a betrayal and more than Ran loving someone other than him, this was Hattori blatantly...well, betraying him. There wasn't another word for it. "Let. Me. _Go_." Conan gave a violent tug away and Hattori let him, and the boy stumbled back onto his rear.

"Kudo..." Hattori's voice was confused and concerned, and entirely too soft. How dare Hattori speak to him that way, like he gave a damn, after what he'd done?

"Get out."

"Wha-Kudo, you gotta tell me what's wron-"

"I said get out!" Conan couldn't fight Hattori, there was no way, and knocking him out wouldn't do any good. He just wanted him gone. Conan couldn't force Hattori to listen but he could try.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on!" Hattori insisted.

Conan fought a scowl as he filtered through his options, right up until Ran walked into the room. He could deal with how he felt about her end of this later, for now... "Sister Ran..." Conan sniveled as he darted over to her and hid behind her legs. "Make him go away!"

Hattori's eyes widened just as Ran's did, and she blinked down at Conan before she looked to Hattori. "What on Earth...?"

"Please, Sister Ran! Just make him go away! I don't want him here!" Conan buried his face in her leg and sniffed. She put a comforting arm around him as she crouched down and looked between the two males.

"What is going on, Heiji?" Ran asked, quite confused.

Hattori's lips were set in a deep frown. "I'm wondering that myself...K-Conan...look, I dunno what I did to make ya so upset...but I really am sorry...we are brothers, that's what I think, anyway...I...well, I thought you did too..."

Conan felt his heart clench a little at those words, and he cursed the universe that he was capable of something as frivolous as emotion or that he'd ever allowed himself to give a damn about _Heiji Hattori_. He forgot himself a moment as he shot Hattori a glare full of ice and said venemously. "We _are not_ brothers. I don't ever want to see you again."

Ran's eyes widened. "Conan!"

Hattori looked as though he'd been slapped and he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You...don't mean that..." he said weakly.

"I meant every word. I can't stand looking at you. So just leave already!"

Ran stared down at Conan dumbfounded, and only then did he realize he'd been 'Shinichi' in front of her. He quickly let out a sob and buried his face in her chest this time as she had knelt beside him.

Hattori stared at the pair long and hard a moment, before Ran finally said, gently. "Maybe you should go, Heiji...until we figure this out..."

Hattori's expression was miserable a moment before it became cool and he inclined his head. "Sorry for the trouble, Ran...I'll...call you later."

"You don't need to!" Conan hissed from Ran's chest, and Hattori stiffened before he turned and left without another word. The deafening silence seemed to return before he felt Ran pull him away and look at him sternly, but with concern as well.

"Conan...what's wrong? Won't you please tell me? Why were you so upset with big brother Hattori?"

"He's not my brother!" Conan insisted before he looked away, teary-eyed, and he told himself that it was entirely an act and none of it real. "I just...want to go to bed...please."

"Conan..."

"Please, Sister Ran..." he sniffed, all sweetness again as he gazed up at her with teary, puppy eyes.

Ran hesitated before she nodded and in short order, he found himself in the guest room. "I'll come check on you in a while, okay?"

"Thanks, Sister Ran." Conan said, and she eyed him a moment before she left. He stood there for a moment, ages it seemed, before his phone rang and he frowned down at the caller. Hattori. He wanted to hang up, but a sudden, vicious feeling shot through him again and he found himself answering if only to get a final point across.

"_Kudo_?" Hattori queried when the phone stopped ringing but Conan hadn't said anything. He continued. "_Look, I don't_-"

"Just stop talking, Hattori, for once." Conan's voice was utterly cool.

"..._Kud_-"

"Shut up!" he snapped, and Hattori went silent as he continued. "You seem to be under a mistaken impression, so let me clear things up for you. We are not now, have never been, and never will be brothers. We are not friends. You're not even my rival." he scoffed haughtily. "You're a convenient tool sometimes, that's it."

There was silence before Hattori replied lowly. "_I don't know why you're sayin' this...but I know it's a lie. I know you, Kudo_."

"Heiji Hattori...the great detective from the West..." Conan drawled. "So smart...and so _clueless_. Let me be clear: I used you. You gave me easy access to cases, someone to compare deductions with, and someone to handle certain physical aspects that I currently can't. But here's the thing, _I don't care about you_. You always called me your best friend and brother, I never called you that, remember? Our whole 'relationship' is something you've dreamed up and it was convenient for me so I didn't bother to argue. But I'm done with you. And I'll make sure Ran is too, believe me."

"_Ran...what does she have to do with this?_"

So Hattori still wanted to play innocent? "Basically, you're not welcome. Not with me, or with her and her family. And if you try to come near us, I'll make you regret it."

"_...I could tell them who you are, you know. If we're not friends, why shouldn't I?_" Hattori's voice was practically deadpan now, and Conan couldn't tell what he was thinking. Had he realized yet, that Shinichi knew?

"Try it and see what happens." It wasn't entirely a bluff, but Conan felt he didn't need an ace. Hattori had been cornered, and he knew how devious Shinichi could be.

"_...So...ya really wanna do this, Kudo? Pretend you don't care? Not even tell me why?_"

"It's not pretending, so I don't need a reason, do I?" Conan retorted.

There was silence once more before Hattori replied. "_Have it your way...__**Conan**__. I won't bother you again._"

"Glad to hear it." Conan replied with false cheer.

The line clicked off then, and Conan stared down at his phone with satisfaction. Or at least, it should have been. But instead, a sickening feeling had slithered into his stomach again, and with a frown he plopped down on the bed to bury his face in the pillow. Where had all of his emotions come from? What had just happened? He needed to think...he needed...he needed...he just needed time to compose himself, that was all...

-Several Hours Later-

Hattori entered the building cautiously, he wasn't sure quite what to expect and so it would be best to expect anything. He needed to tread carefully here. "Although, why I'm even here...I have no idea." he muttered to himself. After all, this wasn't his problem any more, it never had been apparently. Because apparently Kudo had been playing him for a sap. Hattori hadn't believe it at first, in part he still didn't, he felt it had to be part of some plan, something that he had missed, a misguided attempt to protect him. But from what? Nothing about his alternative conclusions made sense. More evidence suggested that the cold, logical Shinichi really had used him. But as he thought on their time together, he found he just couldn't believe it...surely he hadn't been duped. But Shinichi was right, it was only Hattori who had called them friends, and brothers, other than Shinichi referring to his slight elders as brothers and sisters for the most part.

So why was he here, dressed up as Shinichi Kudo, in a creepy, supposedly abandoned building?

Because, apparently he was just a sap after all. A sap who couldn't let his [not] brother down.

"Shinichi Kudo?"

Hattori whirled around. "Who's asking-" Something was sprayed in his face, and he felt his whole body go limp and numb as he fell to the floor. He was only aware that he'd hit it because he could see the world bounce in his vision.

"...What the...Face paint?"

Hattori could see a hand rub at his cheek, and then the man before him clapped his hands together. "I see...so Shinichi Kudo really is dead...what we have here is just a fake...well then...that makes this simple. Open wide, fake Kudo." Something was shoved into his mouth, but he couldn't form the movements needed to swallow. Perhaps he didn't need to, because everything suddenly went black.

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**I know, I know. But there's a good reason for Conan's behavior. And a good explanation for the 'love confession'. Both of which shall be explained next chapter. Someday, when I'm not falling asleep at my computer. XD Poor Hattori. XD We'll see his POV of things next time too, so you can hear the sound of his heart breaking...well, maybe not. But sadness for sure. Enjoy! Reviews are like verbal hugs! -P.S. I'd like to avoid using Japanese terms in my English fanfiction, so that's why I'm not using 'nee-chan' and such. Witchy~ **


	2. A Sad Truth is Revealed

**Second chapter. Falling asleep again. Here we go. Okay, so I think now Conan is living with Ran and I thought before he was living with the Professor. Does he have a guest room or something? Or his home? Does Hattori actually know yet that Haibara is not just a little girl? And lastly...Conan was [16/17] depending on anime/manga...currently, how has it been since he was turned into a child? Answers to these questions would tempt me to adore you. ;-; I tried reading the series timeline and aside from not giving me these answers, it just raised more questions. XD And apparently Haibara is guessed to be about 18? Doesn't that seem odd for a scientist? I thought she was a woman. _ Tanteibouzo is an honorary detective and has earned accolades for excellent deductions. /Edit: This chapter was edited after being updated. Marutaro, thanks for the info. I thought it was awkward to write Ai/Aga/Hei, so I'm not surprised it was awkward to read. I need to start reading the whole story, not just parts. I will, really! And it'll be Shinichi/Ran romantically, although Shin/Heiji's bromance is more the focus of the story. Although for the record, Shin and Heiji would be cute together. 3 **

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Heiji Hattori was excited, genuinely excited, all on behalf of his currently pint-size rival, best-friend, and surrogate brother. It was Shinichi Kudo's birthday, and Heiji had decided to make it a memorable one. If he could give Kudo even one decent night amidst all of the crap they had been dealing with, wouldn't that be something? Plus...aside from Kazuha [which didn't count as far as he was concerned] whose birthday had he ever had room to be excited for? He'd never been close to someone the way he was with Kudo. Kazuha accepted him, and Heiji's genial nature hadn't earned him any enemies or anything, but no one could connect to him on his level and it just didn't make for lasting or intriguing relationships. No one understood his thoughts or his interests, although Kazuha to her credit tried, no one until Kudo. So if he could give him this, this little ray of sunshine in his life, well...why the Hell not?

Hence dragging himself from his beloved Osaka to Ran's doorstep, after arranging a few other details. It seemed that Conan was still asleep, but they'd gone into Ran's room for privacy so that 'Conan' didn't overhear 'Shinichi's' birthday plans and possibly 'spill the beans'. Heiji had basically told Ran that he would take Conan to Agasa's for the day, and that Shinichi would be meeting her for dinner that night. He had pulled some strings and such, he'd told her. And the look of hope and the faint blush on her cheeks was nearly worth the price of admission, so to speak, right there. But this was for Shinichi after all, so he wasn't quite done. Though it wasn't exactly his forte, he had broached the subject of her feelings and given Kazuha [which was true anyway] as the excuse for how he knew about them.

"Tonight is the night!" Heiji insisted with a grin, and Ran shuffled and seemed embarrassed. She was a cute girl, really, and he was looking forward to a time when she and Shinichi could really be together. [And he could tease Kudo endlessly].

"That's...I don't think..." Ran bit her lower lip as she considered things. She had been taken aback when Heiji suddenly confronted her about her feelings but in the end...it was too much on her mind and in the face of the hope of seeing Shinichi...she couldn't exactly shut him out.

"That's it, don't think! Just go with it! Feelings like these...ya can't dwell on them too much. Just gotta let 'em be."

"Heiji, that's..."

"You already know how Shinichi feels right? The little sneak confessed in London! So what are ya worried about? Kazuha already told me how you feel...as if I couldn't tell." Hattori smirked.

"I-I can't just say it!"

"Sure ya can, just say 'I like ya'..or be honest...'I'm madly in love with ya!'" Jeez, it felt weird to be saying all of this, but someone had to and who else but Heiji could or would?

"Heiji!" Ran chided, and she sounded embarrassed.

"Well, it's true, isn't it? I already know how ya feel. There's no point in denying it." There wasn't a reply and Hattori's voice softened. "I'm not trying to force ya, I'm just saying...how long do ya wanna wait?" If the wait was painful for Shinichi, it had to be for Ran as well, right?

There was another bit of silence before Ran replied, and Heiji knew that she meant every word. "I'd wait forever if I had to...but..."

"But the truth is...you just wanna say it, don'tcha?"

"But...where do I even start? I can't just come out and say...say..."

"I love ya?"

"Exactly!" Ran's sudden blush was all too adorable and Heiji chuckled.

"Well, then...guess there's no choice...ya gotta practice with me, c'mon. Let's get this over with."

"P-Practice?"

"Yup, I'll 'confess' to ya, and ya just do it back, okay? Pretend I'm Kudo."

"I can't do that!"

Heiji hesitated as he considered what he was asking before he shrugged it off and forged ahead. "Look...he already told'ja how he feels, ya know ya won't be rejected...isn't that the only reason people get scared about confessing? If ya love him and he loves ya too, isn't that ideal? I'm not gonna force ya...but really think long and hard about how ya feel, and how Kudo feels."

Ran considered it for a few seconds that seems like ages, but despite her hesitance she clearly knew what was in her heart. "I...I want to...I want to tell him.."

Heiji smiled and then stepped forward to slip his hands over Ran's arms a bit as he gazed down at her and schooled his expression into a serious one to play Kudo. "I love ya, Ran..." The future wife of his surrogate brother, so by extension, his future surrogate sister.

"I-I..love...you too..." Ran's voice was almost a whisper, meek and embarrassed.

Heiji beamed then and clapped a hand on her shoulder as he pulled away. "There, see? Wasn't so hard. If ya can say it t'me, ya can say it t'him. Now you just gotta do that when you're with Kudo tonight, and you'll be all set."

Ran still looked embarrassed, but she now looked hopeful as well and there was a new determination in her eyes. "Thank you, Heiji...really. Shinichi's lucky to have a friend like you."

Heiji laughed and scratched the back of his head. "He sure is. I'll take Conan to the old man's house for ya, and Kudo'll be pickin' ya up for the night...have fun." he added with a sly grin, and Ran blushed again as Heiji winked and headed out. He peeked into Conan's room, but he wasn't there, and Heiji found him standing in the living room burning a hole into the carpet with his eyes. A bit concerned, he adopted a cheery tone and ruffled his friend's hair playfully, but he wasn't met with much enthusiasm. When Kudo did speak, it was far worse than he could have guessed.

Kudo mentioned being brothers, and he didn't see where that had come from but he didn't mind being honest about it. What he couldn't fathom was Kudo's sudden, uncharacteristic outburst and the fact it was directed at _him_. What could he have possibly done to earn the chilly Kudo's ire? Especially like _this_.

"Oh, it wasn't enough to stab me in the back? You'll beat me up as well? What a hero you make, Hattori." Conan replied sardonically.

"S...Stab you in the back? What are you talking about?" That was as much as Heiji could think to answer, honestly quite taken aback. There was literally nothing he had done that could be misconstrued like this, was there? So if this were a ploy...well, what was it for? What could Kudo's aim possibly be? But moreover, he knew full well the look of some one who was feigning an emotion. That was part and parcel of being a good detective, after all. And Kudo didn't seem to be feigning, he seemed genuinely angry and upset with Heiji. He tried to talk some sense into him, to take hold of him, but Kudo made it clear that was _not_ acceptable and he soon found himself on the receiving end of a dismissal from Ran. She knew he hadn't done anything wrong, didn't she? But it was her house, he couldn't argue, and he couldn't very well point out that 'Conan Edogawa' wasn't actually young enough to throw this kind of fit. Something was clearly wrong though, there had to be a reason for Kudo's behavior, something that he had missed...

Heiji found himself calling Kudo before he had time to finish the thought. The phone was answered, but Kudo said nothing. "Kudo?"

What came next stunned him. Conan claimed that their relationship was a fabrication on Heiji's part, and he had allowed it only for the sake of convenience, that he didn't care. They weren't brothers.

Kudo's cold words which he desperately wanted not to believe were like little knives in his chest. He couldn't understand the constricting, choked feeling that was now clutching him. Heiji had never had this occur before, he had never been on the receiving end of such venom from some one that he cared about, and whom he believed cared for him. But even so...

"...So...ya really wanna do this, Kudo? Pretend you don't care? Not even tell me why?"

_"It's not pretending, so I don't need a reason, do I?"_ Conan retorted.

That was a final twist into those little imaginary knives in his heart. He felt oddly numb then, and his voice was low as he paused and then replied. "Have it your way, _Conan_. I won't bother you again."

_"Glad to hear it." _came the snide reply.

Heiji clicked off the phone and stood for a long moment as he stared at the ground without really seeing it. The tightness in his chest had ceased to be replaced by a cold numbness. He had wanted to believe it was a mistake, a ploy on Kudo's part, but what could the ploy have possibly been for? And furthermore, the sincerity in Kudo's tone was undeniable. Heiji would be a fool to keep vying for the hope that it wasn't as it seemed, and Heiji was far from a fool.

Except that if Kudo wasn't lying, then he had been the fool all along.

Heiji had taken a bit of time to compose himself before he headed to Professor Agasa's. If nothing else, he could let them know that their expected guest might not be arriving after all. He could have done so over the phone, but if they asked about the circumstances...well, he just preferred to speak to them in person and see if they had any inkling of what had prompted Conan's outburst.

"Then, the last time you spoke was during the phone call?" Agasa asked with a concerned expression. Haibara's expression was decidedly blank.

Heiji had told Agasa and Haibara the whole, sordid story in the end. And the pair exchanged a glance that seemed out of place. "Yes...but there's somethin' else, isn't there? Something ya haven't told me." he surmised. Their behavior had been shifty right from the start. Haibara's frown deepened while Agasa shifted a bit. "Well?"

"I...intercepted a message. One that was intended for Kudo."

Heiji stiffened, and he knew that if she were concerned about a message for Kudo, then it wasn't a typical message. This was pointed, from someone who knew more than they ought to... "Organization Black?" he guessed.

Haibara kept her frown and hesitated before she nodded. She didn't know Heiji well enough to trust him for herself, but the fellow had certainly earned Kudo's loyalty [up until today, apparently] and they frankly needed all the help that they could get. "The message was sent in care of the post office, they eventually called here as per contact information when the message couldn't be delivered to his home. I opened it." she added bluntly.

"And?"

"Here." Haibara passed him a folded piece of paper then, and Heiji scanned the contents with a frown.

_To the Great Detective of the East, a hearty greeting to you by hand this morning, though I'd welcome you with presence by the night. Our business was concluded, but the account still seems often drawn upon. Preferably, such ends are closed. Buildings lacking purpose are perfect for intent. The scent of fish is most abhorrent. Perhaps a spot of orange would whisk the scent away. Rejection of greetings would surely be most rude, as would guests. Good day, great detective._

"This was it?" Heiji murmured as he finished, and already his mind reviewed and analyzed the given data.

"That was it." Haibara confirmed. "And the note is clean, there was no physical data." she gave him a vaguely curious look. "Have you figured it out?"

"Gimme a sec." Heiji would have normally been more than a little satisifed to share his brilliance, but at present, he just felt rather hollow. "Basically...Hello, Kudo. I'm writin' to say 'hello', but I'd like to say so in person t'night. I thought ya were dead, but seems you're still working cases. I'd like t'fix that. An abandoned building is ideal. He mentions the scent of fish and a spot of orange as clues to which building, and the rest is a warning about standin' him up and to come alone." Heiji roughly translated.

Haibara looked mildly impressed, and Agasa finally spoke up.

"It's certainly a trap...but it doesn't sound some one we've encountered before..."

"Naw, it doesn't, does it? More like a newcomer, callin' out Kudo. Weird message too. But definitely a trap." Heiji agreed.

"So the meeting is tonight...then we'll have to call Kudo after all. The Professor insisted we hold off until the birthday nonsense was finished, but-"

"That's right." Heiji interrupted. "He doesn't need t'know yet."

Haibara lifted a brow. "After everything he said to you, you can't possibly mean you're trying to protect his little birthday party, are you?"

Heiji started to argue automatically, but he paused as he processed her words and realized what he was doing. But even so...if only for...Ran's sake, didn't he have to see this through? Besides, there was another matter. "It's not just that. This fella wants Kudo by himself, and he's expectin' a teenager. If Kudo shows up as Conan, he's got no way t'defend himself."

"I disagree. He's obnoxiously resourceful." Haibara noted. "Besides, even if he came as Shinichi Kudo, it's no less dangerous to walk blindly into a trap. We can't ignore it either, if we can get the upper hand, maybe we'll gain some valuable information. And ignoring it, according to you, was warned against. Still, we have the temporary antidote he was going to use for tonight...we'll just be repurposing it."

"No." Heiji said firmly, and Haibara frowned while Agasa looked at him in surprise. "I'll go."

"You?" Haibara snorted. "You're not exactly a dead ringer for Kudo. And no offense, but what business do you have going anyway? Even if you and Kudo hadn't just gotten into a fight...what's it to you?"

Heiji automatically started to say 'we're friends', as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. But he recalled Kudo's cold face and settled for. "'Cuz it's the right thing t'do. Kudo's...obviously...not well. He needs tonight more than we thought. Ran's countin' on it and...well, I'm a detective. Helpin' take down Organization Black would be a star on my hat."

Haibara stared at him as if he'd spoken a foreign language and she couldn't puzzle it out. "You're going to risk your life for his sake...when he's clearly told you that he wants nothing to do with you?"

"I didn't say I was doin' it for him. It's just what's right." Heiji retorted.

Haibara gave him a dubious glance before she shrugged. "I guess you'd do as well as Kudo would. You're not a complete idiot." Which was high praise from her. "But you can't go alone, I understand your reticence to call Kudo, I suppose...but it's too dangerous and there's too much at stake. This isn't your fight, not like it's ours."

"And I understand you're point...but what can ya do that I can't? I can fight if it comes to it...you'd be helpless...and you've got information they want. And old man," he addressed Agasa, "No offense, but...I don't think you'd be up for a fight either."

"No...but Haibara is right, you can't go alone. Organization Black is ruthless, the risk is...too great."

"Look, even if we get Kudo in on it...he's gonna have the same problem as Haibara. 'Resourceful' is great, but it doesn't mean much if ya can't back it up. And if there really is a trap, ya want both of us getting caught? The aces of the East and the West? If somethin' does happen, then Kudo will know how t'find me. If it even comes t'that."

"Argue all you like, I'm going." Haibara announced, "Unless you'd rather call Kudo."

Hattori made a noise of frustration as he pondered his options. "And if ya get caught too, who's ever gonna help Kudo get back to normal? He saved your life, didn't he? Don'tcha owe him that much?"

"If I owe him, then not letting you die and possibly getting information is a good start for repayment, wouldn't you say?"

Hattori filtered through his options a moment, he finally settled for a defeated sigh. "Ya need a cell phone. And do ya have an extra of those little sleeper watches?"

"I do." Haibara said, expression smug at her victory. "I'll be ready in ten minutes." The woman-turned-child headed off for the moment and Hattori turned to Agasa.

"Even if I take her with me, ya know she can't help me."

"That's not necessarily true..."

"She'll be in danger, and Kudo needs her. You care about her, I can tell."

"I care about you too, Heiji." Agasa pointed out with a frown, he could see that Hattori hadn't give Haibara the victory after all.

"It's a trap, anythin' can happen. Maybe I'm being an idiot here, but it's a risk I gotta take. Someone needs t'go. If it wasn't Kudo's big night, I'd end up takin' him whether he'd help or not. Fair enough. But it is his big night. And he really, _really_ needs it. It's dangerous either way, so ya may as well let me handle it. If it wasn't me going, Kudo woulda done it alone. He wouldna called me." Which was probably true enough, unless Hattori had found out and finangled himself an invitation.

Agasa sighed as he wrestled with the options. "What about Haibara?"

"What about me?" Haibara frowned as she entered, and true to form, she hadn't trusted Hattori's suddenly easy aquiesence. She'd listened to most of the exchange after she'd gotten the phone and watch, and a few more supplies.

Hattori rubbed a hand over his face as if exasperated, and made his way over to Haibara as he knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened, and seemed about to move away but he grabbed her wrist lightly. "Haibara...I appreciate your concern...but...sorry about this." While he had her distracted, he quickly engaged the watch and shot her with her own sleeping dart. Haibara made a noise of protest that was lost as she fell into his waiting arms. He scooped her up and deposited her onto a nearby couch.

"This isn't a good idea, Hattori." Agasa said, having winced when he saw Hattori's end game plan. "Shinichi should really-"

"The woman he loves is going to confess t'him tonight. On his birthday. I made sure o'that. That kid's life has been miserable ever since Organization Black gotta'hold of him. Give him this. Let me do this. Please, Agasa." he said, using the other's name.

Agasa wrestled with it again before he sighed heavily. "Very well...but if he comes looking for you, I won't lie."

Hattori smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"These people...they're more serious than those you've encountered before. They don't play by the rules. It is a serious risk, Heiji." Agasa emphasized.

"Not exactly. He must be anticipating that Kudo would have a backup plan, there must be another reason for drawin' him out like this. If he only wanted t'kill Kudo, surely he would use a different method." Heiji reasoned.

"So you have a back-up plan?"

"I don't need one, I'm not Kudo." Heiji said archly.

"...Very well. We still have Shinichi's clothes from the last time you disguised yourself...where is the this building?"

"There's that old clothing warehouse right by a well-known fish shop and a market. That's the only place he could mean. The fish smell comes from the shop, and the oranges from the market" Heiji lied. In fact, he was certain that the abandoned building was the intended fish cannery near Orange Avenue. He knew about that by accident, and if Agasa knew him better or had thought about it more, he might have realized that a foreigner like Heiji wouldn't about such specific, trivial places.

Agasa eyed him a moment before he asked. "Are you sure you really want to do this?"

Heiji had a sudden image of Ran, hopeful and determined, and a memory of Kudo's grumpy expression as Heiji teased him about his confession in London. Maybe Kudo really did hate him, but Ran had never done him any wrong and he was certain at least that Kudo loved Ran. He couldn't be all bad. And Heiji wasn't really lying when he said taking down Organization Black was part of his duty as a detective. And perhaps, stupid as it was, some part of him still had a sliver of hope that Kudo's actions had had a cause and still respected that to Heiji...Kudo had been a brother. He adopted a confident grin. "Ya mean break up a huge crime ring and save that brat's butt all while he makes doe-eyes at Ran? Of course I do."

An hour or so later, Heiji Hattori, perfectly disguised as Shinichi Kudo left to the true location of the meeting. Night was a ways off yet, but showing up early might afford him a good element of surprise. When he arrived before the building, [which was bit more of a hassle than he'd thought to find], he found the state of it to be different than he recalled. The building itself was behind a copse of trees, a secluded bit of land amidst the concrete jungle. He had anticipated being more out in the open, this wasn't exactly what he'd wanted...

Even so, Heiji entered the building cautiously, certain that he would be ready if someone attempted to charge him. He scanned the area carefully for any possible gun fire. But that careful entry was a slight miscalculation, because it seemed that his attacker had been early as well, and had hidden right behind the door he had opened.

"Shinichi Kudo?"

"Who's asking?" he'd retorted as he turned quickly, ready to defend against a weapon, but there was no defense against the spray and he quickly realized that he had underestimated his situation far too late...

...

Conan was aware of how much time had passed, but it had seemed hours passed in moments when Ran finally knocked on the door.

"Conan? Can I come in?" Conan really didn't want her to, but she entered all the same and he could hardly throw _her _out. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine...just sleepy." 'Conan' mumbled to his pillow as he forced himself to turn his head in her direction and look half-asleep.

Ran bit her lower lip before she came over and sat next to him on the bed, and proceeded to set her hand on his back and make a comforting, rubbing motion. "You wanna talk about earlier? With bro-with Heiji?"

Heiji, she called him. They were on first-name basis. What a cozy, cuddly pair they made...that Osakan bastard. "No." he finally mumbled.

Ran hesitated and then set her hands in her lap. "Well...that is..."

Conan glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, and noted that she seemed a bit distressed about something. His eyes widened slightly as he lifted into a sitting position to regard her. "Sister Ran...are you alright?"

"What? Oh! Yes, I'm fine...it's just...well..." she bit her lip again and Conan nodded his head towards her as a gesture to continue. "If you're really not feeling well...I could stay...it's just...you see...Heiji had been going to take you to Professor Agasa's because I'm supposed to go somewhere tonight."

_Yes, I know...on a date with Heiji to confess your 'love'_...Conan mentally sneered, more bitterly than with any malice. "Where are you going, Sister Ran?"

Ran hesitated before she hedged. "I'm supposed to meet up with someone, it's a special night...I'd really like to go, but if you need me..." She should have just been able to drop Conan off, she couldn't dictate her life and something this important around a child...but something about Conan tugged her heartstrings every time and she didn't have the heart to just leave him if something was truly wrong. No matter how much she wanted to meet with Shinichi.

"Oh...you mean, your date with Heiji?" Conan finally said nonchalantly, although inside he was a mixture of glum and frustrated.

Ran's sudden look of surprise and confusion caught Conan off guard. "With..._Heiji_?" she gave a startled laugh. "Where did you get that goofy idea?"

"Huh?" Now it was Conan's turn to be genuinely confused. And then he realized she must be hiding the truth. But then again, he could read her like a book and her emotions were genuine...dissembling wasn't in her nature. "But...but I heard you and Hat-Heiji talking...about..._tonight_."

Ran stared at him and blushed suddenly. "Conan...is _that_ why you were so upset with Heiji? You thought I was going on...on a date with him?"

"You said you loved him!" Conan pointed out, an uneasy feeling slithering into his stomach as his mind processed the situation.

"In the first place, Conan..." Ran's voice was stern for a moment. "You shouldn't have been eavesdropping." Conan wasn't in the frame of mind to look sheepish, he just stared at her as she continued. "But if you'd done it properly, then you would know that I wasn't saying it to Heiji...well, not really...he was pretending to be Sh-well, I wasn't saying it to Heiji!" she finished embarassedly.

'Pretending to be Sh' caught Conan's attention quickly and he zeroed in on that. He knew what she meant, the only thing he could mean. Conan wanted to hear that, he wanted to reply, he wanted to say and do so many things. But he couldn't come out right with it, he was 'Conan', after all. "Pretending? What do you mean?"

Ran looked frustrated a moment. She didn't want to have this conversation with a child, it had been hard enough with Heiji, but Conan was too intelligent to be dismissed. And if this were really the reason he had been so volatile to Heiji...she had to fix the misunderstanding. "Look...if I tell you, you absolutely have to swear to keep it a secret, Conan. Will you promise me that?"

Conan blinked and then nodded. "I promise it's a secret." he said earnestly.

Ran hesitated and then continued as she looked away with a blush. "It's...Shinichi's birthday tonight...I'm going to be meeting up with him...and then...well, there are some things I want to say to him that Heiji was...helping me be ready for."

There was so much in that statement that Conan hardly knew where to begin processing or responding first. So his birthday was the topic of discussion. There were things she wanted to _say_ to him, apparently love-related. Heiji was only helping her. And...she was meeting up with him? But that wasn't possible, because he was here, stuck as Conan. "You're meeting brother Shinichi?"

Ran looked back at him and nodded. "Heiji said he pulled some strings, and helped Shinichi with a case so he could be back here for a few days...Heiji says he's arranged it so that it's a surprise to Shinichi. And he...well, Kazuha had been talking to him and he decided to...encourage me to make tonight really special." she summed it up in what she hoped would be a vague but detailed enough explanation. She really didn't want to pour her whole heart out to Conan, nor Heiji for that matter.

"Ha...Heiji...he arranged it?" Conan suddenly felt sick as he replayed the conversation in his mind. Those little moments that he'd missed...their behavior...Heiji's genuine surprise at his anger...

"Yes...he's got tonight planned out for Shinichi and I...and then we're getting together as a group later this week." Ran smiled fondly. "He's really gone out of his way for Shinichi, and for me. So you see, Conan, you don't have to be upset. I wasn't...cheating on Shinichi." she thought that that was the reason he was upset, out of loyalty to 'brother Shinichi', and she had no idea how close to home she had hit. "Heiji told me he wanted to make sure Shinichi had 'the birthday of his life'...apparently Shinichi's been stressed, and he was hoping this would...cheer him up. I think so too...that's why...if you feel up for it, is it alright if I leave you with the Professor tonight, Conan? ...Conan?"

_What have I done_? Conan was horrified. Memories of Hattori played like an image reel in his mind; every one of his surprised, hurt, pleading expressions seemed to stab into him. The things he had said...how could he have said them? It wasn't even in his nature! Even if Hattori had betrayed him, to throw a fit of rage wasn't...it wasn't _him_. There had to be a reason. But that aside...he had still done it, whatever the reasons, and he had clearly hurt Hattori. He finally heard his name and stared up at Ran in shock. "The Professor's...that would be fine. You should have fun tonight, Sister Ran." he heard himself say cheerfully, but it was hollow to his own ears.

Ran looked relieved. "Are you sure? You're really alright?"

"Yup! I'm sorry I was so mean...I just thought brother Heiji was being sneaky..." Conan said.

Ran laughed. "Sneaky is one word for it...and he was, really. But in a good way. So you're really alright?"

"I'm fine!" Conan assured her.

Ran smiled then and kissed his forehead before she sighed happily. "Just a few more hours, and I'll get to see him again, Conan...I'll finally...get to say what's in my heart."

Conan nearly choked at that but he forced himself to smile. He should have been thrilled, but all he could think about were Hattori's wide, hurt eyes. "I'm happy for you, Sister Ran."

"I'll be back in a few minutes then, and then we'll leave?" Ran asked.

"Sounds good!" Ran smiled again and as soon as she left, Conan had picked up his phone with his finger hesitating over the call button. What would he say? What could he do? But he had to do something... Conan hit call and waited for Hattori to answer, surprised when the phone went straight to voicemail. Hattori's phone was always working, a detective should never be out of reach...he couldn't be that upset, could he? Before he could dwell on it, Ran had returned and he was forced to leave the matter for the moment as he couldn't have the much needed conversation with Hattori in the car.

Said car ride to the Professor's had been mostly filled with Ran's chatter, and when they'd arrived, she'd given him a fierce hug and an excited smile. "Wish me luck, Conan!"

"Good luck, Sister Ran!" he waved cheerfully, but the moment she'd driven away, his smile fell and his expression was quietly miserable as he entered the Professor's home. He found Haibara and Agasa waiting inside, wearing expressions he found odd.

"...What's happened?" Conan asked instantly.

Agasa and Haibara exchanged a glance as Haibara rubbed her head with an irritated expression. She had only regained consciousness perhaps fifteen minutes prior to his arrival. "Hattori was here. Apparently you two had a quarrel?" Conan found her tone odd, she seemed irritated.

"It was a misunderstanding...do you know where he is now? I can't get a hold of him. And Ran is under the impression that she's meeting Shinichi tonight, according to Heiji. Do you anything about that?"

Haibara lifted a brow and exchanged a glance with Agasa before the older man spoke. "Heiji came to us about a month ago with...plans for your birthday. He asked Haibara about a temporary antidote."

"I called him an idiot, of course." Haibara interjected. "He seemed to think it would be a snap to make. But he was very insistent and I had been working on something anyway..."

"So you did it?" Conan was surprised.

Haibara shrugged. "Theoretically...this one is a little different. A single pill today, and one booster a day for the next few days...it should keep you aged consistently."

Conan's eyes widen. "Why only for a few days? Couldn't I just keep taking the boosters?"

"It's not that easy, your body will reject it as it is. And the booster isn't without side-effects, as you may already have noticed."

"...You slipped me something." Conan concluded with a sudden scowl.

"I suspect that is partially the reason for your outburst this afternoon." Haibara pointed out.

"What did you give me?" he demanded.

"The booster is...let's see...something like a hormone pill?"

"_Hormones_?"

"I said _something like_." Haibara corrected. "Your body reaches a stress threshold when taking the antidotes that causes you to develop antibodies and fight off the cure." she simplified the explanation. "The hormones are to reduce that stress level, and prevent your body from going into 'attack mode'. That being said, high levels of stress could still circumvent that, and taking them will also lower your general immunities...as well as...shall we say...augment your emotions?"

Conan's eyes narrowed into a glare. "How long have I been taking them?"

"A couple of days, to prepare you for the pill you'd be taking today."

Haibara's teasing suddenly made much more sense, as had Hattori's secrecy. "So while I've taken this cure...I'll be weaker and more emotional, essentially?" Conan asked flatly.

"Basically, yes."

Conan processed that information as he meanwhile went back to his previous question which remained unanswered. "Where is Hattori?"

"He left, I suppose you should ask _him_ where he's gone."

"I tried, his phone went straight to voicemail. That's never happened before." Well, there was that one time he'd gone up to the mountains with Kazuha...but he couldn't have possibly gotten there so fast even if he'd been inclined to.

Agasa stiffened, and Haibara frowned, and Conan didn't miss either gesture as he narrowed his eyes on them. They were...concerned. They knew something. "You said he left. And you know where he went." It wasn't a question. "But you don't want to tell me. There's no way that it's a birthday surprise, not after what happened. So it's...a case?"

Haibara looked to Agasa then. "_Now _can I tell him?" Agasa had convinced an irked Haibara to leave off the matter for the moment, but in the face of this new information, there was no way she would keep quiet. Agasa nodded.

"...Haibara got a hold of a letter that was intended for you." Conan shot her a glare, to which she smirked belligerently, but then he was all ears for the rest. "It had a...coded message of sorts. Heiji translated it. It was almost certainly an invitation to meet this evening, from a member of Organization Black." Conan's eyes widened. "It was addressed to the Great Detective of the East...so Heiji went in disguise as you."

Conan stilled and then exploded. "You read a letter to _me_, kept it from me that _Organization Black_ issued Shinichi Kudo an invitation, then told _Hattori_ and let him go in _my _place? You had no right!"

Haibara's eyes narrowed. "If it has anything to do with the Organization, then it's to do with me as well. We didn't know it was an invitation until Heiji translated it, and he insisted we keep it a secret so you could keep your date with Ran. I tried to stop him and he used a sleeping dart on me. And all of this after you kicked him to the curb." she said, and she was satisfied to see Conan wince a bit at that last jab.

"It's a trap! Why would he go?"

"I suppose because he knew that it wasn't the kind of invitation you can refuse...and probably, stupidly, to protect you. But that's just a guess."

Could Conan possibly feel any worse or more guilty? Remorse, he found, wasn't something he had a taste for. "Where's the letter? Where did he go?"

"The letter's right-ah-" Agasa patted his pocket and then realized with a frown. "Heiji took it with him...but he said that it was an old clothing warehouse next to a fish shop and a market..."

There was an abandoned warehouse, but it wasn't near any civilian area. That immediately rang a few warning bells. "Where exactly did the letter say to meet?" Haibara must have noticed that something wasn't right, because her eyes narrowed.

"Well, it was written strangely...it said...how was it, Ai?"

"Buildings lacking purpose are perfect for intent. The scent of fish is most abhorrent. Perhaps a spot of orange would whisk the scent away." she recited.

"Buildings lacking purpose...an abandoned building, obviously. The scent of fish...and spot of orange...there is an abandoned building on Orange Avenue...I believe it was supposed to have been a fish cannery but production ceased when the company went under."

"You're going then?" Haibara queried.

"I should have been the one going to begin with." Conan pointed out.

"I agree, but I just want to make sure you won't have second thoughts about leaving your little girlfriend hanging."

Conan stiffened at that, a moment of longing to join her passed over him. The idea of her being crushed nearly killed him, but if Heiji ended up truly killed because he had done nothing...he couldn't let that happen. Apparently he owed Heiji far more than he'd known. "Give me the antidote."

Haibara eyed him a moment before she sighed and headed off only to return a moment later with a pair of pills and a small container. "I'll keep the boosters here, take the pill and a booster now. And remember, overdoing it will almost certainly force you to revert...and it's unstable as it is, so there are no guarantees."

"Well that's comforting." Conan muttered as he took the prooffered pills and swallowed them dry. The results wouldn't be immediate, but how long would he have to wait?

"I'll drive you-"

"No...I don't want them to see either of you with me if it can be helped. I can manage...did the letter come here?" he suddenly thought to ask.

"No, it ended up in care of post and reverted to Agasa."

"Then it-agh!" Conan cut off suddenly as a spasm of pain ran through him and his vision slanted a bit. He clutched his chest with a gasp as the medicine began to take effect.

"Heiji took your clothes, his are in the back-" And Conan was off before she could finish. She rolled her eyes and took a seat at the counter with a nonchalant expression that belied the anxious tap of her fingers against said counter.

When he returned some fifteen minutes later, breathing a bit heavily and sweating slightly, he was dressed in Hattori's clothes and seemed determined. "If I'm not back in...two hours...call the police." If he wasn't back in two hours, there might be little the police could do, but a contingency plan was something, anyway.

"Perhaps you should call them now, then..?"

"And if they see the police coming and decide to kill Hattori?"

"If he's not already dead." Haibara pointed out.

Shinichi shot her a light glare, surprised to find that despite her cool words, her expression was...concerned? Perhaps she didn't think Hattori was such an idiot after all. Or was she worried for his sake? To be fair, maybe it was both. "He's not." he said firmly. "Can I borrow your car?"

"Of course, ah, here we go." Agasa handed him the keys and then placed a hand on his shoulder to give it a squeeze. "Be careful, Shinichi."

Shinichi shot him a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Aren't I always?"

"Try not to die and waste all of my valuable research information." Haibara added.

Shinichi rolled his eyes and with a nod, headed out. The drive to the abandoned cannery gave him his second sense of disoriented time. It seemed to take ages, with seconds dragging on endlessly as his worry piqued. What if something had happened? If they knew he was alive, they wouldn't try the APTX pill again, would they? It would be something far more...permanent. Fatal.

_You'd better be alright, Hattori...don't you dare let them get the jump on you..._Like Kudo had.

When he finally arrived, sunset was around two hours off and with a pang, he had a passing thought of Ran. She'd probably cry, damnit, and there was nothing he could do and no proper way to explain...how would he ever make it up to her? But then he returned his attention to the task at hand, because it would certainly require all of his focus. Shinichi approached the building carefully, and as he reached the door, he paused a moment before he jerked the handle and burst inside, ready for a fight.

But what he got was absolute silence, an almost eerie stillness in the dusty, empty building. He wondered if he had made a mistake somehow until he saw a few drops of blood on the floor, smeared into the ground as though an attempt had been made to clean it. Shinichi's heart stilled in his chest a moment and he forgot to breathe as panic surged in him, only to be replaced by relief as he caught a familiar sight. His blazer, the one Hattori had taken...except..."No.." he breathed in horror. His clothes were in a pile on the ground, his shoes lying haphazardly beside them, but it was what was in the pile that rocked him to his core. There was a body in there, and he knew before he raced over and knelt beside it what he was about to find. Despite how illogical it had seemed for Organization Black to use the same pill again, despite it's failed results, apparently they had done so...and sure enough, when he tugged down his jacket, the form was painfully familiar.

Small, tanned, and sweating feverishly was undeniably Heiji Hattori, now a boy of no more than seven or eight years old.

A strangled cry came unbidden from his throat as thoughts raced through his mind all at once. _This is my fault. Is he alright? What have I done? Where is the one that did this? Why is Hattori still alive? Why did they just leave him? He's not bleeding, so where did the blood come from? He feels so hot, what's wrong? _

As Shinichi turned Hattori over and felt his forehead, the now-boy was burning up and attempts to shake him lightly didn't stir him. "Hattori...Hattori...Hattori!" his voice grew in pitch, and caution was relatively thrown to the wind as he focused his attention and worry on the Osakan before him. Hattori didn't move, he was frighteningly still, his breathing shallow and his form too damned small in Shinichi's arms. He seemed so fragile, like glass, and the thought crossed his mind that perhaps Hattori had felt that way about him at some point or another. He was helpless.

"You'd best get him to...Haibara. He won't last long as he is."

Shinichi whirled around and rose protectively to stand over Hattori's unconscious form. A man dressed all in black save for a white, theatrical mask stood before him. He had a cane with a serpent's head, which Shinichi noted he leaned on heavily. An injury, perhaps. "What did you do to him?"

"I saved his life, actually. The one who did this to him...I cleaned up." he motioned to the few spots of blood on the floor. "There's your proof. Small though it is. I left it just for you. We wouldn't want a mess of it, would we?"

"Who are you?" Shinichi hissed.

"Is that really the question to be asking while your friend is dying?" Almost on cue, Hattori made a choked sound, and Shinichi glanced back at him worriedly. "He can be saved. More or less. But I wasn't exaggerating, you need to hurry."

Shinichi glared at the man, who shrugged and started walking away. "Stop right there!"

The man kept walking. "Chase after me if you like, if you don't mind that boy dying."

Shinichi was tempted, sorely so, to chase after the mystery man who claimed to have saved Hattori. He could have easily spilled his own blood, perhaps from his leg which would account for the slight limp he seemed to have and the cane he relied upon so heavily. But he couldn't, because whether or not the man was lying about the rest, Hattori did indeed seem to be in trouble. "This isn't over." he called after the man, even as he returned to Hattori's side to scoop the boy and his clothing up into his arms gently.

"Far from it, Mr. Kudo. Far from it." The man chuckled and disappeared out a side entrance.

Shinichi watched him with gritted teeth before he hurried out the front and to the car where he buckled up Hattori beside him. He couldn't risk lying him down and having him roll about or be hurt by the seat belt. "Just hang in there, Hattori..." his hand ghosted over Hattori's hair, and for a split second in the sunlight, a far cry from the dim light shining in through dusty windows in the warehouse, he allowed himself to examine Hattori. He didn't appear physically injured, but the boy was definitely Hattori, as if there was any doubt. The mess of brown hair, the tanned skin, he could even imagine those big eyes opening to Hattori's familiar blue orbs.

"...K...azuha..." Hattori's voice, hoarse and faint, bubbled up from his lips.

Shinichi's heart clenched. How could he have ever doubted Hattori? How could he have been so stupid? Here was Hattori, half dead, and still managing to call for Kazuha, the one he truly loved. Shinichi could make the excuse about the hormones messing with his head, and that was partially true, but still...he _knew_ better... "I'm sorry, Heiji." he whispered to the slumbering boy, actually using his given name, before he shut the door and headed to the driver's side to race off back to the Professor's.

_I'm so sorry..._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**Edit: So instead of Ai just letting Hattori go, he's knocked her out and convinced Agasa and they spill the beans right away. Hopefully it's less awkward. And more true to Ai/Agasa who I am still learning. / That was fairly long. I fell asleep after writing the first quarter, then got home from work today and wrote the rest while I was more awake. Although I got a bit impatient. XD I almost split it into two chapters but I went ahead and pushed myself to finish it. XD _ I had a little trouble with the Hai/Aga/Conan interaction. I don't feel natural with Hai and Aga, and then trying to have Conan and Heiji talk to them...but I tried. And I probably took liberties. And decided that Heiji knew about Haibara. _ XD By the by, I'll fix it in the first chap, but I'm going to label them as Conan when he's Conan, and Shinichi when he's Shinichi. As opposed to always Shinichi. Makes it clear where he's at and such I suppose, makes sense continuity wise. Poor Heiji. Shinichi's rampant with guilt and angst and such. And I told you there was a reason for his emotional outburst besides just jealousy and betrayed feelings. XD Hormones! Ish. Whee! Anyway. Enjoy. I have to figure out what I'm doing with these Organization Black peoples. _ I digress. Reviews are like verbal hugs. They make my day. So...enjoy! XD -Witchy~ **


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